Le Viêt Nam, aujourd'hui - Tag - air carriersL'actualité du Viêt Nam2018-02-16T13:24:40+07:00Guénin Patrickurn:md5:11602DotclearVietnam opens probe after woman takes plane to Moscow despite flight banurn:md5:089fae4c8e960d4e6e981e03cbb424182018-02-01T08:44:00+01:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriersairport<p>It’s not clear if she slipped through poor surveillance or received
help.</p> <p>Vietnam’s aviation authorities have opened an investigation into why a woman
who was banned from flying was able to take a flight to Russia.</p>
<p>Pham Thu Thuy, 36, flew from Hanoi to Moscow with Aeroflot early last month
despite being banned from flying until March.</p>
<p>Thuy was handed the ban after arguing with a passenger on a similar Aeroflot
flight in August last year.</p>
<p>The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) had previously informed all
airports and carriers operating in Vietnam, but security at Noi Bai Airport
only realized she had slipped through on January 3.</p>
<p>To Tu Hung, a senior security officer at the CAAV, said Thuy is the first
person to reportedly break a flight ban in Vietnam.</p>
<p>“The reason is still unclear. We have to wait for the investigation to
conclude if it was due to neglect, poor surveillance or collusion,” Hung said,
as cited by Tuoi Tre.</p>
<p>The Russian flag carrier has been asked to review its security checks and
make necessary improvements.</p>
<p>Vietnam imposed a record 40 flight bans last year as the country’s air
travel industry reached new heights.</p>
<p>Most passengers were punished for smoking, fighting or stealing on
flights.</p>
<p>The country served more than 94 million air passengers in 2017, up 16
percent from a year ago, including 13 million foreigners.</p>
<p>By Vi Vu - VnExpress.net - February 1st, 2018</p>Vietnam confirms plan to fly non-stop to California in 2018urn:md5:073144df3ac109c05e9f367d4d16d4da2018-01-05T09:58:00+01:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriersUnited States of America<p>New routes to the U.S. and China are hoped to raise foreign arrivals by 50
percent in the next two years.</p> <p>Vietnam’s government has approved plans to expand its air network to major
markets including Australia, China, Europe and the United States starting from
this year.</p>
<p>According to the plan, Vietnam Airlines will go through with its proposal to
open non-stop services to the U.S., starting with direct flights to the west
coast in 2018. The national carrier is considering between San Francisco and
Los Angeles.</p>
<p>The U.S. proposal was revealed a couple of years ago and received much
excitement, given busy travel between the countries. The U.S. is the fourth
largest source of foreign visitors to Vietnam, with more than 614,000 people
coming in 2017, up 11 percent from the previous year, according to the General
Statistics Office.</p>
<p>Aircraft manufacturer Airbus said in September 2016 that it had signed an
MoU with Vietnam Airlines to deliver 10 A350-900 aircraft, which will be used
for non-stop flights to the U.S.</p>
<p>But the giant economy across the Pacific is just part Vietnam's sky
plan.</p>
<p>For its neighbor China, Vietnam is set to open dozens of new flights by
2020.</p>
<p>The new routes will connect Can Tho, Da Lat, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Hue, Nha
Trang and Phu Quoc Island of Vietnam with at least 17 Chinese destinations:
Changchun, Chongqing, Dalian, Fuzhou, Guilin, Guiyang, Haikou, Hainan, Harbin,
Lanzhou, Ningbo, Shenyang, Wuhan, Xi'an, Xiamen, Xishuangbanna and
Zhengzhou.</p>
<p>Current flights to Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Shanghai will increase
passenger load by adding to their frequency and using bigger aircraft,
according to the development plan which has been approved by Prime Minister
Nguyen Xuan Phuc.</p>
<p>Chinese passengers to Vietnam surged nearly 50 percent to more than 4
million in 2017, accounting for nearly a third of foreign arrivals to the
country.</p>
<p>Vietnam’s aviation development plan also involves new flights to Australia,
France, India, Japan, Malaysia, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, and the U.K.,
all of which now benefit from Vietnam’s e-visa and visa waiver programs.</p>
<p>The country welcomed nearly 13 million foreign visitors and raked in nearly
VND515 trillion ($22.7 billion) from tourism in 2017. It hopes the new air
routes will bring the number of visitors up to 17-20 million in the next two
years, when tourism money will contribute 10-12 percent to the economy,
compared to the current 7 percent.</p>
<p>By Hoang Thuy - VnExpress.net</p>VietJet defends 'Bikini' calendar as risqué marketing ploy prompts backlashurn:md5:1caaec14f25bfe28e86ef6881cb27d0d2017-12-31T13:29:00+01:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carrierswomen<p>Vietnam’s VietJet Aviation said on Thursday it was standing by a
controversial “bikini” calendar, a marketing ploy featuring scantily clad
female models that has prompted criticism in conservative Southeast Asia and
beyond.</p> <p>The annual calendar, which has gone viral online, is part of a broader
marketing push by VietJet that has propelled the start-up airline’s rapid
growth, as it has taken market share from Vietnam Airlines.</p>
<p>The publication of the 2018 calendar—which critics say overly sexualizes the
image of flight attendants and other airline staff—comes as there is a growing
debate in the global airlines industry about sexual harassment and in-flight
assault of both passengers and employees.</p>
<p>VietJet, founded by Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao—Vietnam’s first female
billionaire and one of a handful of women running a major airline globally—said
the calendar emphasized free choice of people to wear whatever they wanted.</p>
<p>“We are not upset when people associate us with the bikini image. If that
makes people delighted and happy, then we’ll be happy,” Luu Duc Khanh,
VietJet’s managing director, said in emailed comments to Reuters.</p>
<p>When asked about the views of Thao, Khanh said the CEO thought people “have
the right to wear whatever they like, bikini or traditional ao dai,” referring
to the traditional Vietnamese long dress.</p>
<p>Thao was unavailable for interview.</p>
<p><strong>Back In Time</strong></p>
<p>The calendar has caused an online storm in Vietnam, with some people
criticizing and others defending the campaign. The 2018 calendar and a YouTube
video of the photo shoot have been viewed more than 910,000 times since first
appearing at the end of last month.</p>
<p>“I think (the calendar) is beautiful, not unpleasant at all,” one user
posted on Facebook under the avatar Mai Co. Another person, named as Van Nhi,
said the airline was “creating scandal to gain attention. It’s getting more
unpleasant.”</p>
<p>Critics say VietJet’s risqué marketing, including the calendar and bikini
fashion shows on board planes, presented an archaic and sexist image of cabin
crew, even as the risk of harassment and assault go widely underreported.</p>
<p>VietJet is “taking us back 50 years by hyper-sexualizing a female dominated
work group in order to make a few bucks off a couple of cheesy calendars,” said
Heather Poole, a veteran U.S. flight attendant and author of a book about
working the not-always-friendly skies.</p>
<p>“Women have to work so hard to be taken seriously, and in this case it’s a
woman in charge taking us back to the days of ‘Coffee, Tea or Me?’,” she added,
alluding to a 1960s book about two fictitious female flight attendants that
emphasized their sexual appetite.</p>
<p>Khanh said Vietjet flight attendants have been trained to handle sexual
harassment situations.</p>
<p>VietJet is not the first firm to use racy calendars to raise its profile.
Italian tire maker Pirelli—known for its calendars of glamorous female
models—has overhauled the annual offering in recent years with less of a focus
on nudity.</p>
<p>Irish budget carrier Ryanair Holdings PLC (ryanair-holdings-plc) in 2014
scrapped an annual charity calendar featuring female cabin crew posing in
bikinis in favor of more family-friendly images.</p>
<p>Khanh, who said the proceeds from sales of the VietJet calendar go to
charity, acknowledged that there could be big changes in the content for the
next version.</p>
<p>“Male models is a good idea for us to introduce in our calendars next year,”
he said.</p>
<p>Reuters - December 29, 2017</p>Vietjet direct to Thai destinationsurn:md5:f4f4fafefe56795671eb1a857e3e04542017-12-30T14:48:00+01:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriers<p>Vietnam’s low-cost carrier Vietjet Air introduced two routes connecting Ho
Chi Minh City with Phuket and Chiang Mai, last week, two popular tourist
destinations in Thailand.</p> <p>The Ambassador of Thailand to Vietnam, Manopchai Vongphakdi and leaders of
the Aviation Administration of Vietnam, the Culture, Sport and Tourism
Department of Ho Chi Minh City attended the send-off ceremony.</p>
<p>The new routes are the first direct flights to the two Thai tourist
destinations from the southern Vietnamese city.</p>
<p>Flight time is two hours per sector, with a departure time of 1015 from Ho
Chi Minh City. The return flight take offs at 1305 from Phuket.</p>
<p>The Ho Chi Minh City – Chiang Mai flight operates on Tuesday, Thursday,
Friday, and Sunday with a flight time of just under two hours. It departs Ho
Chi Minh City at 1135, while the return flight takes off at 1420 from Chiang
Mai.</p>
<p>Vietjet operates six routes to Thailand and is recognised for pioneering
direct routes such as Phuket-Chiang Rai.</p>
<p>TTR Weekly - December 29, 2017</p>Vietnam Airlines to sell stakes in next 3 yearsurn:md5:517e3dc80ddc11c471a84d91bad6a0932017-12-26T17:11:00+01:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriers<p>The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines plans to reduce state ownership
to 51 percent of its charter capital in the next three years.</p> <p>Vietnam Airlines will increase its charter capital to 14 trillion Vietnamese
dong (619 million U.S. dollars) by issuing additional shares, and sell stakes
to outsiders in 2018, when state ownership will decrease by 4.1 percent to 82.1
percent of the capital, Vietnam News Agency reported on Tuesday.</p>
<p>Vietnam Airlines will continue to sell stakes after 2018, so that the ratio
of state capital in the carrier will eventually drop to 51 percent.</p>
<p>According to Vietnam Airlines General Director Duong Tri Thanh, after the
charter capital hike is completed in the first phase, the firm will move its
listing from the Hanoi Stock Exchange to Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange in the
second quarter of 2018.</p>
<p>Vietnam Airlines currently has charter capital of nearly 12.3 trillion
Vietnamese dong (some 543 million U.S. dollars), of which the state holds over
1 billion shares, equivalent to 86 percent of the charter capital.</p>
<p>Vietnam's aviation sector served 41.6 million passengers in the first 11
months of this year, up 13.8 percent year-on-year, said the General Statistics
Office. Meanwhile, the sector transported 289,800 tons of cargoes, up 7.8
percent.</p>
<p>Xinhua Agency - December 26, 2017</p>
<hr />
<p><strong>Vietnam Airlines to reduce State funding to 51%</strong></p>
<p>Vietnam Airlines plans to reduce State ownership to 51 per cent of the
charter capital in the next three years.</p>
<p>This is part of the report on the results of restructuring Vietnam Airlines
in the 2013-16 period and the plan from 2017 to 2020, which has just been sent
to relevant bodies for approval. About 430 million shares of the State will be
divested to a tough 51 per cent.</p>
<p>The roadmap to reduce State ownership in the company is divided into two
stages.</p>
<p>Specifically, in the 2017-18 period, Vietnam Airlines will complete the
increase of charter capital by issuing an additional 191.191 million shares to
existing shareholders and transfer the right to purchase 57.9 million shares,
which has been approved by the Government in May 2017.</p>
<p>In case Vietnam Airlines successfully sells all the shares and selects
investors to buy the above-mentioned 57.9 million shares (expected before the
first quarter of 2018), the firm will achieve its double targets including
increase of the charter capital to VND14 trillion and Vietnam Airlines’ owner’s
equity to VND16 trillion. At the same time, State ownership will decrease by
4.1 per cent to 82.1 per cent of the charter capital.</p>
<p>In the period 2018-19, Vietnam Airlines will continue offering shares worth
about 10-20 per cent of the charter capital. By this time, State ownership will
decrease to 60-65 per cent of the charter capital.</p>
<p>If the roadmap is successful, the ratio of State-owned capital in Vietnam
Airlines will be only about 51 per cent, in line with Decision
No.1232/2017/QD-TTG approving the list of State-owned enterprises marked for
divestment during 2017-20, signed by Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue on
behalf of the prime minister, dated August 17, 2017.</p>
<p>According to General-Director of Vietnam Airlines, Duong Tri Thanh, after
the capital increase is completed in the first phase, the firm will move its
listing, code HVN, from Ha Noi Stock Exchange (HNX) to HCM Stock Exchange
(HOSE) in the second quarter of 2018. The listing on HOSE is expected to help
improve the liquidity of HVN shares, while enhancing the position and image of
Vietnam Airlines, creating favourable momentum for its capital increases and
divestments in the future.</p>
<p>Vietnam Airlines has a charter capital of nearly VND12.28 trillion, of which
the State holds 1.057 billion shares, equivalent to 86 per cent of the charter
capital. Of the remaining shareholders, ANA Holdings Inc, Japan’s largest
aviation group, holds 107 million shares, representing nearly 8.8 per cent of
the charter capital.</p>
<p>The methods to increase charter capital to reduce the rate of State
ownership are being considered by representatives of State-owned capital at
Vietnam Airlines.</p>
<p>Vietnam News - December 26, 2017</p>Trade balance played role in Vietnam Airlines 787, A350 buysurn:md5:57da390445be7c5688bd97d914401d1a2017-12-15T08:28:00+01:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriers<p>Political considerations were an element in Vietnam Airlines' decision to
obtain both the Boeing 787-9 and A350-900.</p> <p>Vietnam Airlines executive vice president Le Hong Ha says that from an
airline perspective, it is useful to have exposure to aircraft technology from
both Europe and North America.</p>
<p>He adds, however, that there was a political dimension behind the
acquisition of two similar types, given the trade balance between Vietnam and
the west. Vietnam is a major exporter of apparel, electronics, and other
goods.</p>
<p>&quot;The government still owns 80% of Vietnam Airlines and this has a strong
influence on our decisions,&quot; says Le. &quot;We are a national flag carrier.&quot;</p>
<p>The A350 deal originated from an October 2007 memorandum of understanding,
the 787s from a commitment with Boeing one month later.</p>
<p>The carrier inducted both new types in the middle of 2015. &quot;From the
beginning it was quite hard for us because we had to set up big teams to take
delivery of both types,&quot; says Le.</p>
<p>Flight Fleets Analyzer indicates that the carrier's first A350-900 entered
service on 29 June 2015, while the first General Electric GENx powered 787-9
entered service on 30 July 2017.</p>
<p>Le says there were a few early teething issues with the A350, but these were
ironed out with some help from Airbus.</p>
<p>&quot;This is normal because the A350 is a new aircraft,&quot; says Le. Both aircraft
are operating well, and help the carrier's branding and yields.</p>
<p>Apart from serving international destinations, both aircraft serve on
Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City-Hanoi trunk route. So popular are the two types,
says Le, that Vietnamese domestic passengers will make an extra effort to book
a service that operates them.</p>
<p>Vietnam Airlines has 12 in-service A350-900s with five on order. The
additional five will arrive from this month through to July 2019.</p>
<p>It has 11 787-9s in service. It also has firm orders for eight 787-10s –
these were originally orders for -9s. These additional aircraft will be
delivered from May 2019 through August 2020.</p>
<p>By Greg Waldron - FlightGlobal.com - December 15; 2017</p>Vietnam Airlines assesses 777X, A350-1000 for USA serviceurn:md5:72fce9b1853a9067a47fc1f0a486bbe32017-12-12T08:28:00+01:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriersUnited States of America<p>Vietnam Airlines is determined to launch services to the United States by
the end of 2019, with more clarity expected soon about the country's US Federal
Aviation Administration status.</p> <p>The Skyteam carrier is assessing both the Boeing 777X and Airbus A350-1000
for the 7,098nm Ho Chi Minh City-Los Angeles route, says Vietnam Airlines
executive vice president Le Hong Ha.</p>
<p>&quot;The flight time is quite long, more than 16 hours,&quot; he says. &quot;The sellable
payload is very important to us, so we are studying what aircraft, based on
performance, allows us to launch the route by the end of 2019.&quot;</p>
<p>The possible acquisition would entail four aircraft. Should the 777X be
selected, the aircraft is only likely to be available for Vietnam Airlines in
2021.</p>
<p>Le made the remarks during a meeting with reporters at the company's
headquarters in Hanoi.</p>
<p>Though Le did not specify the variant of 777X under consideration, the
777-8's range is 8,700nm while the larger 777-9's is 7,600nm. The A350-1000's
range is listed at 8,000nm.</p>
<p>Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that Vietnam Airlines, which operates 10
A355-900s, will see three additional examples delivered in 2018, and a final
aircraft delivered in 2019. It also has a letter of intent for 12 A350-900s
beyond this. Some of these could be converted to A350-1000s.</p>
<p>Should the airline not have the aircraft to launch direct services in late
2019, it has plans to launch the service with an A350-900, which will make a
technical stop in Osaka, Japan.</p>
<p>Le also understands from the Vietnamese government that Vietnam will receive
FAA Category 1 status by May 2018. At present, the country has no FAA category
rating, precluding Vietnamese airlines from launching US services.</p>
<p>He adds that the passenger flow between the USA and Vietnam is one of the
largest in the world without direct links. The market is now served through
hubs in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and China.</p>
<p>Despite challenges for Vietnamese citizens getting US visas, he expects the
demand on the US side is sufficient to drive the route.</p>
<p>FlightGlobal - December 12, 2017</p>
<hr />
<p><strong>Vietnam market 'over stimulated' : Jetstar Pacific</strong></p>
<p>Vietnamese low-cost carrier Jetstar Pacific says domestic passenger growth
has slowed in 2017, to a rate of 14-15% compared with 30% per annum
previously.</p>
<p>&quot;The market has probably been over stimulated in the last five years, so I
don't think you'll see a lot of additional market simulation as we go forward,&quot;
says Jetstar Pacific chief operating officer Leslie Stephens.</p>
<p>&quot;We think it's going to be more natural growth. From whatever everyone is
predicting it will be double GDP growth, so about 14-15% growth a year, about
half the growth we've seen the last five years. We've certainly seen this in
2017.&quot;</p>
<p>The stimulation Stephens alludes to is due to the rise of low-cost rival
VietJet, which has grown rapidly since its launch in late 2011. The carrier
operates 44 Airbus A320 family aircraft, many of them deployed in Vietnam's
domestic market, where it holds about 40% market share.</p>
<p>Despite being much older, with its origins in the 1990s, Jetstar Pacific
operates 17 A320s and commands 15% of the domestic market. Vietnam Airlines,
which owns 70% of Jetstar Pacific, accounts for around half the.</p>
<p>Speaking with journalists at the company's headquarters recently, Stephens
says that longer-term prospects are good given Vietnam's rundown railroads and
poor road infrastructure. These issues, in addition to the country's nearly 100
million inhabitants, make air travel particularly attractive. He says the
country has 22 &quot;good commercial airports,&quot; of which 18 can support jets.</p>
<p>Heavy capacity growth has hurt yields however, and Stephens says the
domestic origin and destination market is especially challenging. Still, the
carrier's load factors are a respectable 84%, although it fluctuates throughout
the year.</p>
<p>It also helps that Jetstar Pacific is tightly integrated with Vietnam
Airlines and Qantas, which owns 30%.</p>
<p>&quot;Being part of the Jetstar group we have connections from Jetstar Japan and
Jetstar Asia, and that helps bring traffic in. One of our best performing
routes is Bangkok-Ho Chi Minh City, which has the most intense competition of
probably any route in Asia.&quot;</p>
<p>In addition, Jetstar Pacific has derived passenger feed from Jetstar's March
launch of Boeing 787 services from Melbourne and Sydney to Ho Chi Minh
City.</p>
<p>Of the five million passengers Jetstar Pacific will carry in 2017, Stephens
estimates about 15% are connecting passengers.</p>
<p>In addition, all of Jetstar Pacific's routes are codeshared on by Vietnam
Airlines. For route planning, a committee comprised of Jetstar Pacific and
representative of shareholders hold regular meetings to discuss schedules and
routes.</p>
<p>Stephens is also optimistic about the government's efforts to increase ramp
space at Tan Son Nhat, where aircraft parking has emerged as a major issue
given the rapid increase in the Vietnam's airliner fleet, and increased
international flying to the country. Still, slots are an issue, with no slots
available between 7am and 7pm.</p>
<p>FlightGlobal - December 11, 2017</p>Vietnam Airlines eyes direct flights to United States in late 2018urn:md5:5b9fe89029090c13b35696dfb1ac20142017-11-27T13:21:00+01:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carrierstransportationUnited States of America<p>Vietnam Airlines plans to launch direct flights to the United States late
next year, but local experts said the air route will cause big losses for the
national flag carrier, local media reported on Monday.</p> <p>&quot;The direct air route (between Vietnam and the United States) will be
heavily loss-making. Vietnam Airlines can endure that if its other air routes
compensate for the loss,&quot; online newspaper VietNamNet quoted an aviation expert
as saying.</p>
<p>A representative of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam said that
the country will not force carriers to open direct routes to the United States,
and that they can drop plans if the future routes do not meet their
expectations.</p>
<p>In 2007, the administration predicted that if Vietnam Airlines opened direct
routes to the United States, it would incur losses of some 30 million U.S.
dollars in the first five years of running the service, but its prestige and
competitiveness would be enhanced.</p>
<p>As fuel prices are declining, and demand for travel and trade exchange is
increasing, the potential loss will be streamlined, said local experts.</p>
<p>Vietnam's aviation sector served 38.3 million passengers in the first 10
months of this year, up 11.4 percent year-on-year, said Vietnam's General
Statistics Office.</p>
<p>The sector also transported 262,100 tons of cargoes in 10 months, up 8.8
percent year-on-year, the office said.</p>
<p>Xinhua - November 27, 2017</p>Vietnam’s domestic airline industry takes offurn:md5:6e559094b92e85da03fa03f16683b9822017-10-11T09:31:00+02:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriers<p>With a coastline as long as the US east coast, Vietnam has always presented
challenges to travellers: the distance between the capital Hanoi and commercial
centre Ho Chi Minh City is 1,150km, a trip that can take 38 hours by train and
even longer by bus.</p> <p>But the rapid development of the economy and a burgeoning middle class have
created an ideal environment for the growth of the aviation industry in ways
few might expect from a developing country.</p>
<p>Until just a few years ago, Vietnamese air travellers, including foreign
tourists, were relegated to using Vietnam Airlines, the flag carrier, which has
historically dominated both the international and domestic markets.</p>
<p>With little competition, Vietnam Airlines was not affordable for most local
travellers. In 2007, the company formed a joint venture with Qantas to operate
Jetstar Pacific, a low-cost carrier that primarily flies domestic routes, but
it has had limited success.</p>
<p>Enter VietJet*, which was the country’s first privately owned airline when
it was founded in 2007 and has since experienced tremendous growth. The airline
has gone from one jet and two domestic routes in 2011 to 40 jets (and 182 more
on order) and a network of 36 routes in Vietnam and 17 internationally,
including Thailand, Singapore and China. It is targeting 45 domestic routes by
2019 and 36 international ones by 2018.</p>
<p>Competing head-to-head with Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar, VietJet has
already taken a 43 per cent share of the domestic air travel market. Its
success is down to its modern fleet (averaging 3.3 years old), savvy marketing,
low fares and low costs — its unit costs are among the lowest in the world.</p>
<p>Nearly overnight, domestic air travel became an affordable option for more
Vietnamese. That 38-hour train trip between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City now
takes two hours by plane, the fare is essentially the same and it is much safer
option than the bus.</p>
<p>With increased competition, Vietnam Airlines has recently stepped up its
game.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Air Asia is also looking to enter the domestic market via a joint
venture with a local partner.</p>
<p>In addition to a surge in local travellers, record numbers of foreign
tourists are visiting Vietnam. International tourist arrivals surpassed 10m in
2016 — a 26 per cent increase from the previous year — and 2017 is on track to
break that record, with 8.5m arrivals in the first eight months of the year, a
near-130 per cent increase over the same period last year, according to the
Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.</p>
<p>This surge is benefiting companies beyond airlines. Perhaps the biggest
beneficiary is Airports Corporation of Vietnam*, which operates all the
country’s 22 airports. It makes money from charging a range of fees (such as
airport security, passenger, landing and take-off) and leasing retail space
within airports.</p>
<p>ACV’s market capitalisation is approximately $6.7bn, which would rank it
among the top five companies in Vietnam’s VN index when it moves to the Ho Chi
Minh Stock Exchange later this year. VietJet’s market cap, in contrast, is
about $2.2bn. While VietJet makes most of its money from domestic routes, ACV
earns more from international flights, where airlines and passengers pay higher
fees (although domestic fees are slated to gradually rise starting this
month).</p>
<p>One of the biggest challenges for VietJet and ACV alike is system capacity.
Vietnam’s main airports are congested and require expansion, and the air
traffic control systems need modernising — all of which will require enormous
investment.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, both companies have thus far seen large share price gains:
VietJet has gained 44 per cent since its IPO in December 2016 and ACV has
gained 99 per cent since being listed in November 2016. The key to their
continued success will be to manage growth, generate profit and meet investor
expectations.</p>
<p>Vietnam’s young aviation industry is a high-profile example of the many
sectors benefiting from the country’s tremendous growth. The Vietnamese are
eager to spend their rising disposable incomes to see more of their own country
as well as the broader region, and to otherwise improve their lives.</p>
<p>As more low-cost carriers enter the market, the price of travel should
continue to fall, enabling more Vietnamese to travel. But with its early entry
into the market, brand equity, and an astute management team, VietJet is well
positioned to maintain its lead.</p>
<p>By Andy Ho - The Financial Times - October 11, 2017</p>
<hr />
<p><strong>Qatar Airways to connect to 8 new points in Vietnam</strong></p>
<p>Qatar Airways has announced its interline partnership with Vietnam-based
Viejet Air to allow its passengers to travel to and from new points in Vietnam
with a single reservation across both airlines' networks, Qatar News Agency
(QNA) reported Tuesday.</p>
<p>The new partnership will allow passengers travelling to and from eight new
points in Vietnam, not served directly by Qatar Airways, to connect via Qatar
Airway's existing gateways in Vietnam, namely Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, the
report said.</p>
<p>The new agreement with Viejet will offer passengers even more choices, Qatar
Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar al Baker said to reporters.</p>
<p>Qatar Airways is the first Gulf carrier to offer non-stop service to
Vietnam's largest city, which first commenced operations to Ho Chi Minh City on
March 25, 2007.</p>
<p>The Qatari government has taken specific steps to boost cooperation with
Vietnam, and opened the Qatar state bank's branch in Ho Chi Minh City, as well
as launched Qatar Airways' route from Doha to Ho Chi Minh City.</p>
<p>Xinhua Agency - October 10, 2017</p>Helicopters to fly passengers from downtown Saigon to Tan Son Nhat airporturn:md5:b005e8b6dec5bfa11caa8d0732d5e95e2017-06-12T18:40:00+02:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriersSaigontransportation<p>Beat chronic traffic congestion all the way to the airport, if you have the
money.</p> <p>A local helicopter firm has completed the necessary procedures to launch
passenger flights from downtown Ho Chi Minh City to Tan Son Nhat International
Airport.</p>
<p>The Southern Vietnam Helicopter Company (VNH South) has been conducting
pilot flights over the past month to test the service.</p>
<p>As part of a deal struck with Times Square Investment Joint Stock Company,
VNH South will serve high-income customers on return flights between Times
Square Tower in District 1 and the airport.</p>
<p>Fares for the service have yet to be announced, but one aviation expert told
the Saigon Times that a helicopter flight from the city center to Tan Son Nhat
Airport can cost more than $10,000. Vietnam's average annual income was around
$2,200 last year.</p>
<p>The agreement also says that VNH South will expand its helicopter passenger
services between the tower and other destinations in the south.</p>
<p>The helicopters used for this service can carry up to 12 passengers and two
pilots.</p>
<p>The roads leading to Tan Son Nhat airport are often jammed, especially
during the holidays, so the city has been working on different solutions to
tackle the problem.</p>
<p>Tan Son Nhat is Vietnam’s largest airport. It was designed to handle 25
million passengers per year, but last year it served 32.5 million, up 22.4
percent from 2015.</p>
<p>Around ten buildings in HCMC have helipads, including Diamond Plaza, Bitexco
Financial Tower and Tan Son Nhat Saigon Hotel.</p>
<p>By Phuong Dong - VnExpress.com - June 9, 2017</p>Bamboo flights take shapeurn:md5:4511c811487a4df1359b7caab8c933792017-06-11T16:04:00+02:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carrierstransportation<p>Property developer FLC Group has announced it will form a company, Viet
Bamboo Airlines, to operate flights under the brand Bamboo Airways.</p> <p>Local media quoted Viet Bamboo Airlines Ltd Co director general, Dang Tat
Thang, saying FLC is finalising the formation of the company and hopes to start
flight operations by the end of 2018.</p>
<p>“Bamboo Airways will take a different flight path first focusing on direct
services connecting international markets with emerging tourist destinations in
Vietnam, instead of domestic flights that are overloaded.”</p>
<p>Priority will be given to localities where FLC has built major tourist
complexes, including Quang Ninh, Hai Phong in the north, Thanh Hoa and Quy Nhon
(Binh Dinh province) in the central region, and Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa province)
and Phu Quoc (Kien Giang province) in the south, he said.</p>
<p>Bamboo Airways will be a “hybrid” airline, blending low-cost traits with
those of traditional airlines, the director added.</p>
<p>FLC will have a registered capital of USD31 million and will start services
with 10 planes for international routes.</p>
<p>At present, there are 21 airports across the country, but two major airports
in Hanoi (Noi Bai International Airport) and Ho Chi Minh City (Tan Son Nhat
International Airport) account for 75% of all passenger traffic.</p>
<p>The airline will concentrate on developing routes to secondary airports.</p>
<p>Vietnam has four major players; Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Jetstar
Pacific, and Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO).</p>
<p>Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam estimated the country’s aviation market
handled 52.2 million passengers in 2016, a 29% surge from 2015.</p>
<p>FLC Group majors in real estate with a portfolio of retail supermarkets,
commercial centres, resorts, hotels and sports complexes.</p>
<p>By Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit - TTR Weekly - June 8, 2017</p>Meet the female billionaire poised to lead Vietnam’s first foreign listingurn:md5:36c2906975df058b439b561067c863422017-06-05T16:45:00+02:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriersstock exchange<p>VietJet, Vietnam's discount airline known for a marketing stunt featuring
bikini-clad flight attendants, could become the first Vietnamese company to
list its shares on a stock exchange overseas.</p> <p>Bloomberg reports that the carrier, which controls more than 40% of
Vietnam's domestic airline market, is seeking more funds after planning for
billions of dollars in aircraft purchases.</p>
<p>If the foreign listing does indeed happen—the company is considering stock
exchanges in New York, London, Hong Kong and Singapore—it would thrust
VietJet's founder and CEO, 46-year-old Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, even further
into the spotlight.</p>
<p>It's a position Thao won't shy away from. &quot;We don’t want to hide our hope to
become the first Vietnamese company to list shares overseas,” she told
Bloomberg.</p>
<p>Thao already possesses a remarkable CV. She studied economics and finance in
Soviet Russia in the 1980s before starting a career in commodities trading in
Eastern Europe and Asia. She returned to Vietnam a decade ago and invested in
banks, eventually turning to real estate projects in Ho Chi Minh City and
resorts in Central Vietnam, according to Forbes. Thao says she got the idea to
start a discount airline while she was a trader, and she studied the business
models of Southwest and Ryan Air for tips on how to launch her own.</p>
<p>VietJet took flight in 2011, and its early years—as Thao predicted—coincided
with a 29% expansion of Vietnam's air transportation market. The airline turned
a profit in just its second year and went public in Vietnam in February. With
more than 35 million passengers, the carrier, even in its short lifespan, has
made Thao the only female billionaire in all of Southeast Asia, with an
estimated fortune of $1.6 billion.</p>
<p>A foreign listing would reflect Thao's goal to morph VietJet into &quot;an
international airline, not just a local one,&quot; and would be in step with her
personal outlook: “I have always aimed big and done big deals.&quot;</p>
<p>By Claire Zillman - Fortune - May 31, 2017</p>Can Tho woos airlinesurn:md5:904880640c7c50cb8ff42b1f454429df2017-05-26T14:54:00+02:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriersairportCan Tho<p>Vietnam’s Can Tho City government has assured airlines it will support them
to open air links from the city to both domestic and international
destinations.</p> <p>Local media quoted the city’s chairman, Vo Thanh Thong, who said the Mekong
Delta city will target airlines that can offer new direct international flights
to Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan, while adding domestic
routes to Vinh and Dalat. The campaign will run until 2020.</p>
<p>The municipal government is drafting policies to support enterprises to open
air routes. Support features include reducing costs for office rental,
promotions and ground service fees. It will also offer financial aid to even
subsidise an airline if vacant seats exceed certain levels agreed upon
mutually.</p>
<p>According to the draft, airlines opening new routes to and from Can Tho will
enjoy incentives such as discounted or free office rental for 12 months with a
maximum subsidy of VND15 million (USD660.95) per month per firm. Ground service
fees will cut in half during the first year for domestic flights while
international flights will receive an additional 30% discount in the following
year.</p>
<p>The maximum amount that the city would need to cover subsidiaries would be
VND5 billion (USD223,214) a year for domestic services and VND8.5 billion
(USD379,464) a year for international routes.</p>
<p>Can Tho International Airport currently has domestic flights to Hanoi, Phu
Quoc, Con Dao and Danang. Meanwhile, routes connecting the city with Dalat and
Nha Trang have been suspended due to losses.</p>
<p>For international routes, flights from the city to Taipei, Taiwan started
earlier this year. Charter flights to Bangkok, Thailand have halted, but they
served mainly Vietnamese outbound travellers.</p>
<p>The city will target regional low-cost airlines to offer them incentives to
start services to develop two-way leisure and business traffic rather than
holiday charter flights that concentrate solely on Vietnamese visiting overseas
destinations.</p>
<p>Last year, the number of visitors to Can Tho City grew 14% year-on-year to
reach 5.3 million, including over 590,000 foreign visitors. Tourism revenue
reached USD80.3 million, up 5% over 2015.</p>
<p>By Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit - TTR Weekly - May 18, 2017</p>Vietnamese airlines issue warnings over rising in-flight theftsurn:md5:809e79feb814e52989b4655ed3218c812017-05-21T16:16:00+02:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriersrobberiestransportation<p>Light-fingered foreigners have been helping themselves to other passengers'
belongings.</p> <p>The number of in-flight thefts carried out by foreigners on domestic flights
in Vietnam has been on the rise in recent months, prompting Vietnamese aviation
authorities to highlight the problem and warn passengers to keep an eye on
their belongings.</p>
<p>Eleven cases of in-flight crime that all involved foreign suspects were
reported in the first four months of the year across the country, a significant
jump compared to just the one case recorded last year, based on a report by the
Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam.</p>
<p>To Tu Hung, deputy head of the agency's Aviation Security Department, said
this indicates a shift in crime pattern.</p>
<p>Hung said in previous years, this kind of theft mainly occurred on
international flights, but has switched to target domestic flights since the
end of 2016.</p>
<p>Cash was the main target, and was usually taken during the early morning or
late at night when passengers were sleeping.</p>
<p>In the most recent incident, a flight from HCMC to Hanoi was struck by a
light-fingered thief. A flight attendant spotted a Chinese passenger
suspiciously swapping seats while holding a handbag that did not appear to
belong to him.</p>
<p>After the head steward asked two other passengers sitting nearby to check
their luggage, one of them reported some VND100 million ($4,416) in cash
missing along with $400, while the other had lost approximately $13,000. The
Chinese man was handed over to authorities at Noi Bai International Airport
once the plane had landed.</p>
<p>In April, Hanoi People's Court sentenced Gui Xing Lian, a 47-year-old
Chinese national, to two years in prison for stealing $4,000 and VND50 million
from other passengers on a flight from Da Nang to Hanoi.</p>
<p>Hung said the general impression of airport and airplanes being safe places
had left many Vietnamese passengers vulnerable to the risk of theft. The lack
of surveillance cameras on planes also makes it difficult to catch thieves in
action.</p>
<p>&quot;I'm concerned that many Vietnamese passengers are quite careless with large
sums of money and neglect to keep an eye on their belongings,&quot; said Hung.</p>
<p>Nguyen Minh Tuan, deputy director of the Southern Airports Authority, warned
passengers that thieves may track them during check-in procedures to see who is
carrying valuable belongings. After these passengers are on the plane, the
thieves may deliberately put their own luggage nearby and wait for their
opportunity.</p>
<p>Tuan said handling in-flight thefts is not easy without catching the thieves
red-handed or having enough hard evidence against them. Many thieves claim they
have simply picked up the wrong item or bag when they are confronted.</p>
<p>National carrier Vietnam Airlines has confirmed that the company will
tighten security on its flights to prevent similar offenses, and has asked
passengers to cooperate with cabin crews in the event of an incident.</p>
<p>By Doan Loan - VnExpress.net - May 14, 2017</p>Fury in Vietnam over United passenger dragged from planeurn:md5:eba18b3305d89be56cc72e0ae232beed2017-04-12T20:38:00+02:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriersUnited States of America<p>Outrage spread to Vietnam on Wednesday over United Airlines' handling of a
passenger dragged from his seat after it emerged that the 69-year-old U.S.
doctor was Vietnamese by birth.</p> <p>Although United Airlines has no direct flights to Vietnam, there were
widespread calls on social media for a boycott after video showed a bloodied
David Dao being yanked out of the plane by airport security on Sunday to make
way for United employees.</p>
<p>The ire in Vietnam grew quickly after it was reported that Dao's origins
were not in the Southeast Asian country's old enemy, China, as many had at
first assumed.</p>
<p>Vietnamese also fumed at allegations over Dao's past reported in the United
States as irrelevant and possibly racist.</p>
<p>&quot;Watching this makes my blood boil, I'll never fly United Airlines,&quot;
commented Anh Trang Khuya on Facebook, the most widely used social media
platform in Vietnam.</p>
<p>Nguyen Khac Huy wrote: &quot;Boycott United!!! This is excessive! Let's be loving
and united, Vietnamese people!&quot;</p>
<p>There was no immediate comment from the government or in state media.</p>
<p>Video showing Dao being pulled from United Airlines Flight 3411 at Chicago
O'Hare International Airport on Sunday went viral and the worldwide backlash
hit the airline's share price and prompted an apology from the company chief
executive.</p>
<p>Kentucky's medical board website shows that a doctor David Dao graduated in
1974 in Ho Chi Minh City - then known as Saigon and the capital of U.S.-backed
South Vietnam before its defeat and the reunification of Vietnam under
communist rule a year later.</p>
<p>Around that time, Dao left for the United States, according to U.S. media
and Vietnamese websites.</p>
<p>Vietnamese media said that Dao was also a songwriter and crooner of soulful
ballads - including one about the memory of rain falling in Saigon.</p>
<p>Reports in U.S. media of an offence that had led to Dao losing his medical
license in 2003 were dismissed in Vietnam as a probable smear campaign.</p>
<p>&quot;Dr. Dao didn't do anything wrong on that flight and that's the main thing,&quot;
wrote Clarence Dung Taylor in a post that had more than 4,000 likes.</p>
<p>The attitude to the case shifted dramatically in Vietnam once it was
reported that Dao was not from China - an ancient enemy with which Vietnam
continues to have a maritime dispute over the South China Sea.</p>
<p>When initial reports had suggested the man being dragged from the plane was
Chinese, some Vietnamese had posted strongly unsympathetic comments about
him.</p>
<p>&quot;So funny,&quot; wrote Bui Nguyen Trong Nghia. &quot;Now they know he's Vietnamese,
most people stand up to advocate. Whether it's Vietnamese or Chinese, there'll
be discrimination as we're Asian.&quot;</p>
<p>By Mai Nguyen - Reuters - April 12, 2017</p>AirAsia plans Vietnam venture on Southeast Asia travel boomurn:md5:66f8259249dfd121fcc0906e8ca639a22017-04-02T11:12:00+02:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriersMalaysiatransportation<p>AirAsia Bhd., the low-cost carrier headed by Malaysian tycoon Tony
Fernandes, plans to start a Vietnamese carrier in a local partnership, as cheap
fares and rising incomes fuel a travel surge in the Southeast Asian nation.</p> <p>The region’s largest budget airline will partner Gumin Co., Hai Au Aviation
Joint Stock Co. and businessman Tran Trong Kien for the venture, which is
expected to start flying early next year, AirAsia said in a statement to the
stock exchange. Gumin will own about 70 percent of the new venture, with
AirAsia holding the rest.</p>
<p>Vietnam is the latest country to lure Fernandes, who is seeking to build a
pan-Asian budget airline, as the 28 percent growth in passenger traffic was
triple the pace in other Southeast Asian nations. The fifth-biggest market in
the region has seen domestic traffic double since 2013, and the middle-class
will comprise close to a quarter of its population by 2010, AirAsia said.</p>
<p>Shares of AirAsia climbed 1.3 percent to 3.14 ringgit in Kuala Lumpur on
Friday. They have gained 37 percent this year.</p>
<p>AirAsia has over the years established affiliates in Indonesia, Thailand,
India and Japan, and is betting on a low-cost, long-haul model for
international travel through its AirAsia X unit. It has ordered hundreds of
planes worth billions of dollars from Airbus SE to meet its growth ambitions,
and is in the process of selling a plane-leasing unit to raise more cash.</p>
<p><strong>Marketing Stunts</strong></p>
<p>VietJet Aviation Joint Stock Co., known for marketing stunts like
bikini-clad flight attendants, listed its shares on an exchange last month, and
has gained 52 percent since. Vietnam will continue to see a double-digit gain
in passenger numbers in the next decade, after annual growth of 17 percent in
the past decade, according to ACB Securities in December.</p>
<p>“AirAsia is very late to the party in Vietnam and as a result faces huge
challenges,” said Brendan Sobie, Singapore-based chief analyst at CAPA Centre
for Aviation. “The market is now well served by two low-cost carriers, VietJet
and Jetstar Pacific. The rate of growth will likely slow in the coming years as
the market is now more mature.”</p>
<p>AirAsia’s Vietnam venture will need investments of 1 trillion Vietnamese
Dong ($44 million), and AirAsia will contribute 30 percent of that after
raising internal funding, according to the filing.</p>
<p>Kien is the chief executive officer of Hanoi-based Gumin, which was founded
March 29, according to Vietnam Planning and Investment Ministry’s website. He
is also the chairman and CEO of Thien Minh Group, or TMG, which owns Victoria
Hotels &amp; Resorts in Vietnam and Laos. Hai Au Aviation is a unit of TMG.</p>
<p>By Anurag Kotoky &amp; John Boudreau - Bloomberg - March 31, 2017</p>Jetstar will increase Hue-Bangkok flightsurn:md5:ac79549672e4753784e1e145e6c24d892017-03-26T18:14:00+02:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carrierstourism<p>Thua Thien-Hue authorities are urging local airlines to add services linking
the world heritage city with Bangkok in Thailand.</p> <p>Local media reported representatives from travel agencies supported the
proposal at a meeting with Jetstar held late last week.</p>
<p>The airline agreed that in the immediate future it would offer two flights
weekly, a major increase from the two token flights a month that the airline
offers at present.</p>
<p>he plan is expected to help travel companies offer two-way tours between the
two cities.</p>
<p>Jetstar reported that the twice-monthly flights between Hue and Bangkok have
an average cabin factor of 70%, according to the report.</p>
<p>However, the airline admitted it was very difficult to build any serious
traffic with a route that was not served weekly. The present service operates
as a scheduled charter relying on travel agencies to pre sell bookings to tour
groups.</p>
<p>The province also pledged to launch support policies for travel agencies to
promote tours to attract more tourists on the Hue – Bangkok route.</p>
<p>More than 470,000 tourists, including over 175,000 foreigners, visited
heritage sites in Hue during the first two months of 2017.</p>
<p>This year, the province targets 3.3 to 3.5 million tourists, of which
foreign visitors account for 40% to 45%.</p>
<p>Thua Thien-Hue province has 128 km of coastline, 22,000 ha of lagoons and
over 200,000 ha of forest. There is an extensive complex of imperial tombs and
temples in Hue. The province capital city Hue is best known for its ruined
Imperial City that is now a World Heritage site.</p>
<p>By Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit - TTR Weekly - March 23, 2017</p>Vietnam's 'cave province' schedules direct flights to northern Thailandurn:md5:dd2f0a4e0fbb8e1f75d4f9612fa2ebc22017-03-17T08:46:00+01:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carrierscaveThailandtourism<p>From the mountains of Chiang Mai into the depths of the world's biggest cave
in Quang Binh from just $100.</p> <p>n a bid to promote tourism, the central province of Quang Binh, famous for
its vast cave network, has announced plans to open a direct flight to Chiang
Mai in Thailand from July.</p>
<p>Following a meeting with officials in Chiang Mai on Wednesday, officials
from the province said that there will be two flights per week on Mondays and
Fridays.</p>
<p>The new service aims to attract more Thai tourists to Quang Binh, home to
the world’s largest cave Son Doong and many other magnificient grottos, as well
as the nearby tourist towns Hue and Hoi An, they said.</p>
<p>The route from Quang Binh’s capital Dong Hoi will be the first direct flight
from Vietnam to Thailand’s mountainous city of Chiang Mai, a popular cultural
and religious center around 700 kilometers (435 miles) to the north of
Bangkok.</p>
<p>It will cut the flight time between the two cities to around two hours from
the current nine and a half hour journey that transits in Hanoi and Bangkok.
Dong Hoi and Chiang Mai are around 1,200 kilometers apart, or a 20-hour road
trip through Laos.</p>
<p>Travelers will be able to book return tickets from April, starting from
$100, Quang Binh officials said.</p>
<p>In January, the province said it was going to discuss the new service with
local carriers Vietnam Airlines, VietJet and Jestar. It’s still not clear which
or if all of them will cover the new route.</p>
<p>Quang Binh is a rising star on Vietnam's tourism map and has been making
various efforts to gain global recognition.</p>
<p>In a recent promotional video, the province describes itself as a beautiful
and exciting destination, and repeatedly reminds viewers that it was the set
for the new blockbuster &quot;Kong, Skull Island&quot;, which will hit local theaters
next Friday.</p>
<p>The video, published in January, features the testimony of the film’s
director Jordan Vogt-Roberts himself.</p>
<p>By Vy An - VnExpress.net - March 3, 2017</p>Value of Vietnam's 'bikini airline' overtakes national carrierurn:md5:172dbaa4cdf99930bcaebd74ec4bcd032017-03-06T20:27:00+01:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriers<p>Vietnamese private budget airline VietJet's VJC.HM market capitalization
surpassed that of state-owned Vietnam Airlines HVN.HNO on Monday, only a week
after it was listed.</p> <p>VietJet grabbed headlines with bikini-clad flight attendants when it was
launched in 2011 and its success on the Ho Chi Minh stock exchange reflects its
rapid ascent since.</p>
<p>It has become known in Vietnam as the &quot;bikini airline&quot; and female crew do
still wear them, but only on some flights.</p>
<p>Its market share is expected to top that of Vietnam Airlines this year, a
feat it has achieved by tapping into a fast-growing economy and a young
population starting to travel more.</p>
<p>VietJet shares hit 137,400 dong ($6.03) each, valuing it at$1.8 billion,
ahead of Vietnam Airlines at $1.7 billion.</p>
<p>On its first trading day VietJet was valued at $1.4 billion and its rival,
which listed in January, at $2.1 billion.</p>
<p>Growth in the Vietnamese market, which is one of the fastest in Asia
Pacific, and a relatively small free-float in VietJet shares for retail
investors, had driven the price of the shares, brokers said.</p>
<p>VietJet's stock has a lower price-to-earnings (PE) ratio of 15.75 compared
with 16.63 for Vietnam Airlines, Thomson Reuters data showed.</p>
<p>The CAPA Centre for Aviation has said that VietJet, which currently commands
40 percent of Vietnam's domestic market, will likely become the country's
biggest domestic carrier this year.</p>
<p><strong>Future growth</strong></p>
<p>Some analysts forecast VietJet shares will jump to more than 143,000 dong
per share.</p>
<p>&quot;(The) VietJet story just begins so investors still have a lot of
expectation on its shares,&quot; Nguyen Van Dung, manager of the securities
consulting department at Saigon Securities, said.</p>
<p>&quot;But if from investing perspective, I will buy Vietnam Airlines share as the
firm has much potential to grow sustainably in (the) long-term and the price
now is very good to buy,&quot; he added.</p>
<p>The listings of VietJet and Vietnam Airlines were part of the government's
push on privatization to boost investment.</p>
<p>Vietnam, which is slowly opening up its domestic market amid considerable
investment interest, has completed several major share sales and listings in
recent months, including a $3.72 billion flotation of its top brewer Sabeco
SAB.HM in which the government owns nearly 90 percent.</p>
<p>By My Pham - Reuters - March 6, 2017</p>Vietnam's 'bikini airline' Vietjet takes off in public listingurn:md5:a7570741ec370453a82300ad43ab923b2017-02-28T20:10:00+01:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriers<p>Vietnam's low-cost carrier Vietjet - known for its occasional bikini PR
stunts - has soared the maximum 20% in its trading debut in Ho Chi Minh
City.</p> <p>The country's first private airline is thought to soon overtake flag carrier
Vietnam Airlines in market share.</p>
<p>Investor interest is driven by the growth pace in the domestic airline
market, one of the fastest in Asia.</p>
<p>Vietnam has over the past years been slowly opening up to international
investment.</p>
<p>VietJet currently operates about 60 routes both domestically and
internationally, and hopes to have a fleet of 200 aircraft by 2023.</p>
<p>The budget airline is another story of a booming Asian low-cost carrier
managing to clock exceptional growth in its first years since taking to the
sky.</p>
<p>The airline launched its first commercial flights only in December 2011 but,
thanks to a rapidly growing middle class, has jumped to become the country's
second-largest airline, almost head to head with flag carrier Vietnam
Airlines.</p>
<p>Both carriers have about 40% of market share. But if Vietjet's past growth
is anything to go by, it is set to claim the top spot in no time.</p>
<p>While most analysts agree that the domestic market will continue to show
strong growth, there is caution over whether Vietjet will be able to replicate
that success abroad.</p>
<p>&quot;There's no doubt that they are the dominant low-cost carrier in Vietnam,&quot;
explains aviation analyst Greg Waldron of FlightGlobal. &quot;The question is
whether they can really expand that model overseas.&quot;</p>
<p>&quot;These business models are not like McDonald's, where you can just replicate
the model elsewhere,&quot; he explains.</p>
<p>&quot;With airlines, it's a lot more challenging: if they go internationally,
this would add a huge amount of complexity to their business model. Long-haul
flights would again be a completely different game.&quot;</p>
<p>Aside from its impressive growth rates, the airline is also known for its
somewhat controversial PR stunts.</p>
<p>In the past, the airline has made occasional headlines with PR stunts of
having its stewardesses serving the aisles wearing little more than a bikini as
uniform.</p>
<p>&quot;They've been clever about their marketing,&quot; says Mr Waldron. &quot;This gave
them huge publicity all over the world.&quot;</p>
<p>There's little doubt it garnered global coverage. In case it strikes you as
somewhat inappropriate, however, Vietnamese authorities agree.</p>
<p>In at least one of the instances, Vietjet was fined for hiring models for an
on-board bikini show.</p>
<p>BBC News - February 28, 2017</p>Jetstar backs Vietnam with extra Dreamliner flightsurn:md5:21a735aa4d8f01ed732f6f40340f4de72017-01-21T14:36:00+01:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriersAustraliatourism<p>Vietnam could become as popular a tourist destination for Australians as
Bali and Thailand, and budget carrier Jetstar is helping to drive this growth
by adding new flights on Boeing 787 Dreamliners.</p> <p>Jetstar chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka made this bold prediction yesterday
when launching seven new weekly flights to Ho Chi Minh City from Melbourne and
Sydney.</p>
<p>But she also said Vietnam’s growing middle class would underpin increased
growth in inbound tourism to Australia.</p>
<p>“In the last 12 months, there has been a 21 per cent increase in visitors
from Vietnam to Australia and we expect to see that grow with the introduction
of our low fares on the route,” she said.</p>
<p>“The growing middle class in Vietnam has made it one of the fastest-growing
aviation markets in the world.”</p>
<p>Jetstar’s announcement in Melbourne yesterday was backed by the Victorian
government and the city council, who see the new flights as a boon for inbound
tourism.</p>
<p>Victorian Trade Minister ­Philip Dalidakis said Vietnam was the
third-largest source of international students in Victoria and he hoped to see
that number increase.</p>
<p>He also said freight between Australia and Vietnam had increased fivefold in
recent years and said Jetstar’s “wonderful investment” in the new route could
help sustain that growth.</p>
<p>“Nothing does more for trade, travel and tourism than direct flights,” Mr
Dalidakis said, adding that he would find time in his diary to book a family
holiday to Vietnam.</p>
<p>Melbourne’s Lord Mayor, Robert Doyle, said it made sense to have to new
direct flight because one third of Australia’s Vietnamese community lived in
Melbourne, and Nguyen was now the second most common name in the Melbourne
phone book.</p>
<p>He said families of students generally visited three times while their
children were studying in Australia.</p>
<p>Jetstar sees Ho Chi Minh City as a hub for flights into other parts of
Vietnam. “From Ho Chi Minh City, travellers can fly to 15 other destinations
within Vietnam on Jetstar Pacific, which ­offers the same low fares that
Australians have come to expect from Jetstar,” Ms Hrdlicka said.</p>
<p>The three weekly flights from Melbourne to Ho Chi Minh City will start on
May 10 and flights from Sydney will start on May 11, subject to government and
regulatory approval.</p>
<p>“Vietnam has the potential to become as popular as Bali or Thailand for
Australian travellers,” Ms Hrdlicka said.</p>
<p>“Vietnam is well known for its rich culture, vibrant cities, beaches and
cuisine, and travellers can take advantage of the wide range of experiences the
region has to offer.</p>
<p>“We expect our low fares and direct flights will generate even more demand
for holidays to Vietnam.”</p>
<p>By Paul Cleary - The Australian - January 20, 2017</p>Airlines cry out as Saigon airport forces empty planes to park elsewhereurn:md5:64080e2f855f17126e27144a05d7e5d62016-12-29T18:33:00+01:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriersairportSaigon<p>They say it will cost them tens of thousands of dollars a day flying the
extra miles.</p> <p>Vietnam’s plan to make airlines park their planes overnight at a different
airport to reduce congestion at Tan Son Nhat has been dismissed by industry
insiders as impractical.</p>
<p>In an attempt to ease overloading at the country’ largest airport in Ho Chi
Minh City, the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) has asked
Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air and Jestar Pacific to move their idle aircraft to
Can Tho Airport in the Mekong Delta and leave them there overnight. Planes
serving international routes can still stay in the city.</p>
<p>But at least two of the airlines have protested the plan, saying it is not
financially viable to fly empty aircraft to and from Can Tho every day. There
is no commercial route connecting the two cities at the moment due to their
proximity.</p>
<p>A source from low-cost carrier Jetstar Pacific said there is no airline in
the world that has to operate round trips with no passenger only to park their
fleet.</p>
<p>One trip between the two airports, which are around 180 kilometers apart,
costs around VND200-300 million ($8,800-13,200), not to mention the trouble of
hosting the crew and technicians in Can Tho overnight, the representative
said.</p>
<p>The Jetstar spokesperson also said CAAV’s requirement means carriers should
launch new late-night services to Can Tho but Jetstar has no such plans. “New
flights or route changes should be driven by real travel demand.”</p>
<p>Another airline executive, who does not want to be identified, also
criticized the Can Tho solution as costly and troubling.</p>
<p>The plan can even backfire when a lot of aircraft return to Tan Son Nhat in
the morning all trying to fly to other cities and provinces, the person
said.</p>
<p>Some experts have warned that passengers will eventually have to bear the
higher costs. They say the better solution is to expand the Tan Son Nhat
airport immediately.</p>
<p>Tan Son Nhat’s apron is designed to accommodate 57 aircraft at a time, but
sometimes there are more than 70 parking there over night.</p>
<p>Vietnam’s airline market is growing at the third fastest pace in
Asia-Pacific and the country is grappling with an acute dearth of airport
capacity. Aviation authorities estimated that the number of passengers on
domestic flights would soar 35 percent to 28 million this year, accounting for
more than half of the total air travel in the country.</p>
<p>Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar Pacific and VietJet Air and the newly founded
Vietstar are planning to expand their fleets to a total of 263 aircraft in the
next four years. Vietstar has not even been licensed to fly yet.</p>
<p>The country is working on a design for a massive airport in Dong Nai
Province to share some of the heavy load for Tan Son Nhat, but construction can
take years.</p>
<p>By Doan Loan - VnExpress.net - December 27, 2016</p>Vietnam air traffic soarsurn:md5:057993c26c70b1b51239cdc590831d182016-12-11T17:52:00+01:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriers<p>Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam estimates the country’s aviation market
will handle 52.2 million passengers by the end of this year, a 29% surge over
last year.</p> <p>Local media reports suggested 28 million would be domestic passengers, 30%
more than domestic flyers in 2015.</p>
<p>The growth has been attributed to the expansion of local budget airlines,
VietJet Air and Jetstar Pacific, which are now operating 50 routes connecting
Hanoi, Danang, and Ho Chi Minh City with 17 domestic destinations.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, 52 foreign airlines based in 28 different countries and
territories are also operating 78 routes to Vietnamese destinations including
Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, Phu Quoc, Hai Phong, and Nha Trang, the report
said.</p>
<p>In addition, passengers using budget airlines on domestic routes will reach
15 million this year, accounting for nearly 55% of all domestic flyers.</p>
<p>Local carriers operated over 228,000 flights during January to November.</p>
<p>As of 30 November, airlines mustered 147 aircraft, and another five aircraft
are due to be delivered by 31 December.</p>
<p>For the first 11 months of the year, over 38,000 flights suffered delays or
were cancelled, according to CAAV.</p>
<p>Of that, 36,844 flights were delayed, up 0.6 percentage points year-on-year,
while 1,605 flights were cancelled up 0.2 percentage points year-on-year.</p>
<p>By Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit - TTR Weekly - December 9, 2016</p>Vietnamese airlines order 40 Airbus jets worth $6.5 billionurn:md5:752de566cdf70d511c7559a62c0180d32016-09-17T10:45:00+02:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carrierstransportation<p>Vietnamese airlines plan to order 40 Airbus (AIR.PA) jets in deals worth an
estimated $6.5 billion, the European planemaker said on Tuesday, as they expand
their fleets for a small but fast-growing market.</p> <p>Strong economic growth and a burgeoning middle class has increased demand
for travel both domestically and abroad, spurring carriers to increase
routes.</p>
<p>In deals announced at the start of a two-day visit to the Southeast Asian
nation by French President Francois Hollande, Vietnam Airlines, the country's
flagship carrier, reached a preliminary agreement for 10 A350 planes worth $3.1
billion.</p>
<p>The widebody aircraft will allow the airline to expand its long-haul
network, beginning with services between Ho Chi Minh City and Los Angeles.</p>
<p>Budget airline Jetstar Pacific - controlled by Vietnam Airlines and 30
percent owned by Australia's Qantas Airways (QAN.AX) - finalised its order for
10 A320 single-aisle planes valued at about $1 billion.</p>
<p>VietJet, the country's only private airline, placed a firm order for 20
A321s - worth $2.4 billion.</p>
<p>VietJet has been rapidly expanding both at home and in Southeast Asia and
the deal comes on top of an order for 100 Boeing 737 MAX 200 jets in May worth
$11.3 billion at list prices - the biggest aircraft order in the country's
history.</p>
<p>The CAPA Centre for Aviation said in January that VietJet commands 40
percent of Vietnam's domestic market and it will likely surpass Vietnam
Airlines this year as the country's biggest domestic carrier.</p>
<p>By Ho Binh Minh - Reuters - September 6, 2016</p>
<hr />
<p><strong>VietJet buys $2.39 billion in Airbus planes</strong></p>
<p>Vietnam budget carrier VietJet Aviation has signed a $2.39 billion order
with Airbus Group SE to buy more than 20 A321 planes, the company said Tuesday,
just a few months after signing an $11 billion deal to buy 100 planes from
Boeing Co.</p>
<p>The agreement, witnessed by French President François Hollande, who is
visiting Vietnam, provides for the aircraft to be delivered between 2017 and
2020.</p>
<p>Airbus Tuesday also said it signed a memorandum of understanding with
Vietnam Airlines to acquire 10 more A350-900 long-range jets, doubling the size
of it fleet of the widebody planes. The deal carries a list price value of
about $3 billion.</p>
<p>The order underscores the rapid expansion of the budget carrier since it
began operating in 2011. The country’s only privately owned carrier, VietJet is
also set to become Vietnam’s largest carrier, eclipsing state-owned rival
Vietnam Airlines, aviation analysts say. In addition to Tuesday’s announcement
and the previous $11 billion order with Boeing to buy 737 jets, unveiled during
U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to the country in May, VietJet agreed last
year to buy 30 Airbus A321 planes for $3.6 billion.</p>
<p>“VietJet is developing robustly and sustainably with an aim at better
serving our passengers and promoting tourism and economic development in
Vietnam and other regional countries,” said airline President and CEO Nguyen
Thi Phuong Thao.</p>
<p>Vietnam is one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in Asia, which itself
is one of the fastest-growing regions for the industry. VietJet previously has
noted that the Vietnam market has grown 20% in each of the past three years,
and the airline is adding new international routes to cater to growing demand
for outbound travel from the country’s growing middle class.</p>
<p>Airbus also said it finalized a purchase agreement with Vietnam’s Jetstar
Pacific Airlines for the sale of 10 A320 single-aisle planes valued at $980
million at list prices. The carrier owned, by Vietnam Airlines and Qantas
Airways Ltd. , is already leasing 12 of the Airbus narrowbodies, the European
plane maker said.</p>
<p>By Vu Trong Khanh - The Wall Street Journal - September 6, 2016</p>How efficient are Vietnamese airlines ?urn:md5:736e19fc8fec446e563f198a85888f502016-08-11T19:59:00+02:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriers<p>Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam reports more than 20,000 domestic
flights were delayed during the first half of this year.</p> <p>It represents 15.8% of all flights during the six-month period.</p>
<p>A Thanh Nien News report claimed delays had increased 0.8% over the same
period last year.</p>
<p>Cancelled flights stood at 772.</p>
<p>Airline passengers increased 29% year-on-year to nearly 19 million in the
first six months, it added.</p>
<p>Low-cost Jetstar Pacific recorded the highest rate of flight delays and
cancellations at 20.7%. It was followed by VietJet Air, and Vietnam Airlines
with 16.4% and 15.3%.</p>
<p>All carriers attributed the delays and cancellations to bad weather,
technical issues, operating problems, or air traffic congestion.</p>
<p>Vietnam Airlines and VietJet Air, which dominate the domestic market,
promised to reduce their delay and cancellation rates to 10% and 12% by the end
of this year, the report added.</p>
<p>Vietnam’s air market will see traffic increase 19% to 45 million passengers
this year.</p>
<p>By Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit - TTR Weekly - August 11, 2016</p>Hackers target flight info screens at Vietnam's airportsurn:md5:7f655d7df11347dbcda8ca56966b9b8d2016-07-29T21:41:00+02:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriersairportChinaInformation Technology<p>The hackers had displayed images supportive of Beijing's claims in the South
China Sea on flight information screens. Vietnam's flagship carrier said their
website had also been targeted by the cyber attack.</p> <p>Pro-Beijing hackers on Friday defaced the website of Vietnam Airlines and
flight information screens at two major airports in Ho Chi Minh City and the
capital Hanoi, displaying messages of supportive China's maritime claims in the
South China Sea.</p>
<p>Airline operators briefly suspended electronic check-ins when their systems
were attacked, Vietnam's civil aviation authority said.</p>
<p>The country's flagship carrier said in a statement that their website had
been redirected to a &quot;malicious website abroad.&quot;</p>
<p>Vietnam Airlines is &quot;deploying proactive contingency plans, working in close
coordination with airport security units to tighten control of passengers at
airports in order to ensure normal operation, as well as implement necessary
measures to ensure customers' benefits,&quot; it said.</p>
<p>The hacker group 1937CN allegedly claimed responsibility for the attack,
according to Vietnamese media.</p>
<p>The attack comes amid heightened tensions between the country following a
UN-backed arbitration court's ruling that Beijing has no historical claim to
its territorial assertions in the South China Sea, considered a victory for the
Philippines and Vietnam.</p>
<p>The cyber attack may have also been retribution for reports that a transport
official at Ho Chi Minh City airport defaced a Chinese visitor's passport,
writing obscenities next to a map of Beijing's &quot;9 dash&quot; assertions in the South
China Sea.</p>
<p>Deutsche Welle - July 29, 2016</p>
<hr />
<p><strong>Alleged Chinese hackers compromise Vietnam's airports, airline
website</strong></p>
<p>A team of self-proclaimed Chinese hacker has compromised the announcement
screen systems at many major airports in Vietnam, and hacked the website of the
country’s national flag carrier, the Ministry of Transport confirmed on
Friday.</p>
<p>On Friday afternoon, some flight information screens at both Noi Bai
International Airport in Hanoi and Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi
Minh City have been compromised to display offensive messages toward Vietnam
and the Philippines, along with distorted information about the East Vietnam
Sea.</p>
<p>The Da Nang International Airport, the largest of its kind in central
Vietnam, did not have the announcement system compromised, but the computer
system experienced repeated glitches.</p>
<p>Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Nhat confirmed to Tuoi Tre (Youth)
newspaper at 6:00pm that relevant authorities have stopped the hackers from
attacking the systems at both airports.</p>
<p>Airlines at the terminals had to shut down some check-in counters and
switched to manual procedure completion, which may lead to flight delays.</p>
<p>Competent agencies are looking into the incidents to identify their causes,
deputy minister Nhat said.</p>
<p>As of 6:30 pm, many out of 21 airports across Vietnam have had to switch to
complete check-in procedures for passengers manually, instead of using
computers.</p>
<p>“All Internet systems have been switched off so we had to do everything by
hands,” an airline attendant at Tan Son Nhat airport said.</p>
<p>A video posted on Facebook on Friday afternoon also shows the loudspeaker
system at the same airport delivers an announcement in English, with the same
offensive messages.</p>
<p>Some Vietnamese internet security experts also posted on their Facebook
photos showing that the VIP passenger section on the website of Vietnam
Airlines had also been hacked and defaced.</p>
<p>According to a screenshot, the hackers said they are China 1937CN Team, and
the hacking is “a warning message” for Vietnam and the Philippines.</p>
<p>A Vietnam Airlines later confirmed that its website had been hacked, but did
not know how long it had been under control of the hackers.</p>
<p>“We are trying to restore data and cannot comment at the moment whether the
data has been leaked to outside sources,” the source said.</p>
<p>A source said data of some 411,000 passengers had been in the hand of the
hackers.</p>
<p>As of 6:30 pm, the Vietnam Airlines website was fully restored to normal
state.</p>
<p>An Internet security expert told Tuoi Tre the alleged Chinese hackers must
have been able to penetrate deeply into the carrier’s system to be able to take
control of the screen and loudspeaker systems.</p>
<p>The carrier said at 5:45 pm that it had isolated and taken back control over
the compromised systems.</p>
<p>Many Vietnamese security agencies and companies have joined hands to help
the airline.</p>
<p>Vietnam Airlines said it has deployed back-up plans to ensure safety and
operations at airports.</p>
<p>The hacking came amid a string of recent actions by China to oppose an
international court ruling against Beijing’s groundless claims in the East
Vietnam Sea.</p>
<p>The July 12 ruling by the court in The Hague denied China's sweeping claims
in the strategic seaway, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade
passes each year.</p>
<p>&quot;There was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources
within the sea areas falling within the <a href="http://blog.vietnam-aujourdhui.info/post/2016/07/29/so-called" title="so-called">so-called</a> 'nine-dash line',&quot; the court said.</p>
<p>The ruling is claimed as a victory by the Philippines, which explains why
the messages left by the hackers target at both countries.</p>
<p>1937CN is the hacker group that has launched numerous attacks to Vietnam and
the Philippines.</p>
<p>Only in the last two days of May last year, around 1,000 Vietnamese websites
were attacked by those hackers,</p>
<p>Among the attacked websites were 15 government-run platforms, with the
domain name of .gov.vn, and 50 education (.edu.vn) ones, according to WhiteHat,
an online forum for Internet security enthusiasts run by Bkav.</p>
<p>Around 200 websites of the Philippines were also attacked in the same
period, between May 30 and 31, 2015.</p>
<p>1937cn claimed responsibility for the attacks and made them public on their
website, according to WhiteHat.</p>
<p>Tuoi Tre News - July 29, 2016</p>Flight information screens in two Vietnam airports hackedurn:md5:e5707eba1b7d6215e7714cd515350f402016-07-29T21:34:00+02:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriersairportChinaInformation Technology<p>Hubs in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, as well as website of national airline,
showed message criticising sovereignty claims in South China Sea</p> <p>Hackers have attacked the website of a national airline and flight
information screens at Vietnam’s two biggest airports, posting notices that
state media said criticised the Philippines and Vietnam and their claims in the
South China Sea.</p>
<p>Operators of airports in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City briefly had to halt
electronic check-ins when systems were attacked on Friday afternoon, the
country’s civil aviation authority said.</p>
<p>The website of Vietnam Airlines was also compromised, directing browsers to
what the flag carrier described as “bad websites overseas”.</p>
<p>State-run media said the messages were about the South China Sea and
denounced Vietnam and the Philippines, which are at odds with Beijing over
maritime sovereignty. Vietnamese media said the hack was claimed by a group
called 1937CN. Reuters was not able to immediately verify the content of the
messages.</p>
<p>The region is on edge, facing diplomatic dilemmas after a 12 July ruling by
an arbitral court that declared Chinese claims to most of the South China Sea
as having no legal grounds. Beijing has called the ruling farcical and refuses
to recognise it.</p>
<p>The decision was favourable to the plaintiff, Manila, and by extension
Hanoi, which has similar disagreements with China about its island-building and
the conduct of its vast coastguard fleet in the South China Sea.</p>
<p>Vietnam’s vice transport minister, Nguyen Nhat, said the content displayed
by the hackers offended his country and the Philippines, Thanh Niên news
reported, without elaborating.</p>
<p>The report stated that the same picture was posted on the Vietnam Airlines
website, with “distorting content” about the situation in the South China
Sea.</p>
<p>Reuters - July 29, 2016</p>
<hr />
<p><strong>Flight info screens at Vietnam's 2 major airports
hacked</strong></p>
<p>Screens displaying flight information at Vietnam's two major airports were
hacked Friday to contain distorted information about the South China Sea and
insult Vietnam and the Philippines, state media reported.</p>
<p>The sound systems at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports in Hanoi and Ho Chi
Minh City respectively were also affected, forcing airport authorities to
switch off the flight information screens and sound system, the online
VnExpress said.</p>
<p>The website of the national carrier, Vietnam Airlines, was also briefly
hacked, it said.</p>
<p>The paper quoted Vice Minister of Transport Nguyen Nhat as saying the
incidents did not affect the security or air traffic control at the
airports.</p>
<p>Earlier this month, an international tribunal issued a ruling in favor of
the Philippines that invalidated China's sweeping claims in the South China
Sea. Vietnam also has overlapping claims to parts of the sea, which is rich in
natural resources.</p>
<p>The Associated Press - July 29, 2016</p>Vietnam Airlines may launch direct flights to US in 2018urn:md5:97d64049a191d336bdfd7e13eefc5aac2016-07-17T15:45:00+02:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriersUnited States of America<p>National carrier Vietnam Airlines is reportedly looking to open direct
services to the US in 2018, saying it is &quot;good timing&quot; to start a plan that has
been in the works for 10 years.</p> <p>The plan was revealed by CEO Duong Tri Thanh in an interview with BBC at the
Farnborough International Air Show in England's Hampshire on Thursday.</p>
<p>The market's demand has also been rising given increasing trade activities
between Vietnam and the US, he said.</p>
<p>Vietnam Airlines is currently operating flights between Ho Chi Minh City and
18 cities in the US under codeshare agreements with foreign carriers, according
to its website.</p>
<p>Figures from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism showed 292,960
American visitors arrived in Vietnam in the first six months, up 14.5 percent
from the same period last year.</p>
<p>Thanh Nien News - July 16, 2016</p>Vietnam Airlines is certified as a 4-Star airlineurn:md5:829c9d225b1b73ff7a1d5ca1d68bd9cd2016-07-14T12:10:00+02:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriers<p>Vietnam Airlines has been Certified as a 4-Star Airline by Skytrax, the
world’s leading airline and airport rating organisation.</p> <p>In a presentation ceremony at the World Airline Awards held at Farnborough
Airshow on 12th July 2016, Skytrax presented the 4-star Airline Certification
to Vietnam Airlines President and CEO, Mr Duong Tri Thanh.</p>
<p>Vietnam Airlines President and CEO, Mr Duong Tri Thanh said: “I am honoured
to accept this highly prestigious accolade on behalf of Vietnam Airlines. This
fantastic achievement is testament to the hard work of all of Vietnam Airlines
dedicated employees, and an important indicator of the excellent progress we
are making towards our goal of becoming one of the best-regarded airlines in
Asia-Pacific.”</p>
<p>Mr Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax said “This 4-Star Airline rating is an
excellent achievement for Vietnam Airlines and the result of their hard work
across a range of product and service areas. Introducing two brand new aircraft
types into the fleet in such a short space of time is a difficult task, but the
reward for Vietnam Airlines is a fabulous new product in their core long haul
market. We acknowledge the considerable change and improvement they have
achieved, with a new service concept rolled out in Business Class and an
overhaul of cabin staff training procedures – all which will further strengthen
Vietnam Airlines position as a 4-Star Airline.”</p>
<p><strong>Achieving the 4-Star Rating</strong></p>
<p>The Vietnam Airlines passenger experience has undergone a great deal of
quality change during the last 18 months – a key feature of this being the
fleet upgrade with the introduction of both Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 next
generation aircraft. By the end of 2016, Vietnam Airlines long haul route
network of routes into Europe and Australia will all be serviced by these new
aircraft. Currently, Vietnam Airlines has taken delivery of 11 of these new
aircraft, and by the end of 2017 another 9 will be delivered.</p>
<p>Onboard Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787 and A350 aircraft, flatbed seats are
offered in Business Class and Economy Class customers have access to personal
IFE and power supply facilities. IFE content has more than doubled and
customers can expect further improvements in this area in the next few
months.</p>
<p>The 4-Star Certified Airline status for Vietnam Airlines has been helped by
their move to a brand new terminal in Hanoi, offering a new Business Class
lounge product and upgrade check-in facilities, with a new Business Class
lounge opening in Ho Chi Minh City for September 2016.</p>
<p><strong>Certified Airline Rating</strong></p>
<p>World Airline Rating is the global airline quality ranking programme
operated by Skytrax, the international air transport rating organisation and
leading authority on airline quality standards. Certified Airline Ratings
classify airlines by the quality of front-line product and staff service they
provide to customers, and are recognised as a global benchmark of airline
standards. Established in 1989, Skytrax is based in London, United Kingdom.</p>
<p>Using an internationally recognised evaluation system to assess quality,
Skytrax provide the world airline industry with a professional, unified Quality
classification system that is an established and respected symbol of airline
standards.</p>
<p>Certified Airline Rating is based on in-depth quality analysis of an
airline’s customer-facing Product and Service standards, with a
well-established scientific approach ensuring accuracy, and an objective
ranking system using global quality measurements.</p>
<p>As part of the process to determine and award an Airline Star Rating,
Skytrax carry out detailed Quality analysis across up to 800 different areas of
airline product and service delivery for the Onboard and home-base Airport
environments. Certified Airline Ratings are not related to any type of customer
reviews or passenger surveys.</p>
<p>Skytrax - July 12, 2016</p>ANA Group buys 8.8% Vietnam Air stakeurn:md5:f29573e8a5718b6f8d0ebce8e5e769fa2016-07-05T08:39:00+02:00Vietnam aujourd'huiNews in englishair carriersJapan<p>Japan’s ANA Holdings Inc (ANA Group) has successfully completed the purchase
of 8.77 per cent of Vietnam Airlines’ stake and officially become a strategic
shareholder of the national flag carrier.</p> <p>Vietnam Airlines is expected to hold the 2016 shareholders meeting earlier
than September 30 in order to elect ANA Holdings Inc to the board and adopt a
plan to increase charter capital by issuing additional shares offered to its
existing shareholders.</p>
<p>ANA Group’s entrance as official shareholder marks great significance for
Vietnam Airlines’ long-term development, the airline said.</p>
<p>“Given its extensive co-operation in various fields, together with the
participation of the world’s leading airline in management, Vietnam Airlines
will be provided with a firm foundation to launch its fleet renewal program by
adding new-generation aircrafts, expanding markets, and improving the quality
and efficiency of services and operations,” the airline said in a
statement.</p>
<p>After completing the share transaction to ANA Group, Vietnam Airlines will
continue to look for potential financial investors to issue additional shares
in order to increase its charter capital and reduce the State’s share to 75 per
cent. This percentage is set to fall to 65 per cent under the company’s
restructuring plan.</p>
<p>Viet Nam News - July 5, 2016</p>